The NVA soldiers moved back and forth in the tufted growth mud distance, like sidewinding snakes across a desert of nearly flat sand.
The numbers, I instantly knew, although it was impossible to see individuals at distance even through the mildly magnified gun sight, were too large to be handled or overcome by firing the six gun barrels of the Ontos. I turned my head and started to move from my seat atop the ammo boxes Rio had substituted in place of the metal swivel chair. I stopped midway because Fusner was there already, holding out the radio handset.
“Ripcord, gun control officer, sir,” he said, his tone indicating that he and Zippo had probably been able to come to the same conclusion I had without the aid of any visually enhancing equipment.
Thank you Jim.
Excellent, tight, concise writing. Easily the best series I’ve read on the Vietnam war. These books should be on the Commandant’s List of required reading for every Marine 2LT and NCO. I anxiously await your next chapter. Take your time sir. This has to be very cathartic for you. We’ll wait.
Much respect.
Bill C
US Army
193rd Infantry Brigade Panama
1984-85
Thanks a lot William for that comment and the compliments you wrote in it. There’s no way this story is ever going to be approved by
the Commandant. No way. It’s too predictive and that means that the guys going might not necessarily want to go! It’s also too universal.
It’s not just about Vietnam. It’s about all ground combat.
Semper fi,
Jim
Just gonna pebble in here and tell say you are doing an Amazing job. Writing about what happened in Vietnam in that Valley from Hell is never going to be anything but terribly difficult. God chose you to write this and gave you a purpose because He knew how hard it would be but He also knew that you were the one who could do it because of the Gifts He has given you.
Stay strong, write at the pace you are comfortable with and know how much God loves you. God Bless you.
Prayers fro you always,
Nancy
You are the embodiment of a living dream, my dear, and I cannot tell you how important it is that beings such as yourself exist to get
some of the rest of us through rough patches…
Semper fi, and thank you so much…
Jim
I was watching a movie on a plane recently, can’t remember the name, but it was about a company of Brits in the trenches in March 1918. They had been at it forever (the ones who were still alive) and they were at the breaking point. The Germans were ready to start their infamous “Spring Offensive”….the last Hail Mary to win the war before the Americans really started arriving by the hundreds of thousands. Anyway, someone on the General Staff thought it would be a neat idea to send a squad of men, led by a Lt to raid the German trenches…in broad daylight…to grab a German soldier…I guess to see what kind of shape they were in. It was insane. Hollywood took over from there as the officers argued and anguished who to send on this pointless suicide mission…and they fought long and hard NOT to send a brand new Lt with brand new men. After reading Thirty Days I was just shaking my head thinking, “You send the 11 new guys of course. Bad luck but you don’t know them, they have no idea what they’re doing..end of story.” Of course in the Hollywood version they send a beloved, very important officer to lead…and of course he is killed.
You are right ‘e’ in your analysis. One of the reasons I have written Thirty Days is to dispel the myths that led me to believe so strongly about what
war was like and how it was fought. There must be a lot of kids and young men like I was still out here and I was hoping that I might get to some of them.
There is no way the ‘beloved’ officer would have been sent and there is no way the ‘beloved’ officer would not have had enough moxey and combat experience by
then to avoid going. Anyone who really went out there was going to die and everyone in the rear would know that, just like they did in the Nam. New guys were
treated with such disdain and disgust because that is how humans treat other humans they do not want to know and do not want to send to their deaths but must.
Thanks for the great deep comment…
Semper fi,
Jim
James I just read your comments on fb and your lack of vet companionship. Most likely there are vet groups in the county seat of your county. I am a member here bbut never go to hang out or meetings. I am not very sociable not unfriendly just prefer to be by myself or in a very small group. What I have found to meet my need of being around vets but not be too closely confined, is being part of our veterans military honor guard. Some meet at the club and get the rifles and flags others just show up at the cemetery. We fire the 21 gun salute and present the flag to the family. It takes an hour or so is outside and
not confining at all. You are with the greatest people I know. There is no rank or anyone more a vet than anyone else. I would suggest that you check with a local funeral director and get the names of some of the vets in your area that are involved in this service up there in your area. The same goes for anyone else that may read this. simper fi
thanks a lot Don. Much appreciate the care and advice you are offering. Yes, it is lonely and difficult to have other vet friends.
I will look into that…
Semper fi,
Jim
Jim Time to quit jacking off and get ur pack back on ur kind of like some of the girls who would leave you with blue balls. I could say please get back to writeing but that just aint me . HAGD Omer
I have not left writing at all Omer. I have tried to set a more consistent pace for writing the chapters and that’s had some success,
but consistency at putting this all down, which with life coming at me like it comes at you, has proven difficult in that regard.
I put my chapters up here for free so I don’t feel quite so bad about disappointing people’s expectations. I did write some
political stuff because I thought it was important but there are too many on here too far out there to discuss belief systems
at all. This is not college and it’s easy to forget that. So, no more political or personal opinion. I am back at writing the story.
Semper fi, and thanks for writing, as usual.
Jim
James tell Omar it’s yours and you can do anything you want with it. Oh and another great chapter.
Well, Omer is a great guy so I can’t exactly ‘tell’ him much at all. I learned that in the Nam!
Thanks for the compliment.
Semper fi,
Jim
Keep up the Gret work Sir – I will be off line for a month or so but I know you are doing what you think is best. Take care and have a nice Summer. No reply needed as I will not get it until the end of July
thanks a lot for the comment of support and care. Means a lot to me…
Semper fi,
Jim
James, am wondering how long your temper tantrum is going to last this time, before we get the next chapter of TDHS? It has been over two weeks now!
Note: It does not matter whether the material is free or not, what matters is the writer’s reputation at meeting his own deadlines. You are not doing too well in that regard!
The drummer. March to the beat of the drummer that you hear. I march to the beat of my own drummer, not your drummer.
The chapters are provided by me free of charge, which gives me a lot of license in meeting any deadlines I might make.
Your previous communications, support and condition do not warrant a biting response on my part, so you will not get one.
I am sorry I am late, but life comes at me too and I’m not going to offer excuses in detail for that. Stand by and do
your part here and I will do mine to the best of my ability.
Semper fi, my friend,
Jim
And you, of all men on here, stop bitching. It doesn’t become you.
Well if I had a future to look forward to, I might have more patience with you. Unfortunately that is not the case.
From the remarks I have seen from some of your readers, I am not the only one who is put off by your lax attention to detail in finishing one of the best works you have ever done. Oh well, to each his own.
I guess I just don’t understand, and maybe I can’t. This is not like writing a screenplay for some show on television.
And I truly give a damn about the men and women who come on her to read and write, but I can only do certain things at certain times
in this physical universe….and there it is and will remain….
The segment is done and will go up when Chuck gets up and sees it in the morning…
Go at your own pace James. Your recall doesn’t come easy. The rest of us can wait……or not.
Sometimes it’s just gotta be “control+Alt+delete”.
Semper Fi
Thank you most sincerely!!!
Semper fi,
Jim
Jim, take your time and continue to make it truly excellent as it has been all along. I too check every day for a new post with great anticipation, but I know this must be hard for you and I honor your commitment to sharing something so difficult and painful from your past. Continue at your own pace, you are appreciated. I purchased the 1st book but am waiting until all 3 are available as a signed set for the next purchase.
Thanks Chris, and I apologize for taking so long to respond. I much appreciate the support and the compliment.
Semper fi,
Jim
James don’t let the comment from omer hadsall get to you. he was a little rude in his words. you have a few thousand vets ( and thank that is a low number) that love what your putting in words. its hard to relive a nightmare. keep up the good work. waiting on the next Billy b.
Hell, Omer is a bit of okay. Funny. Great heart.
Thanks for the comment in defense of me though.
Semper fi,
Jim
James, Is there any information on Kilo and the 4 lt’s that are leading them?
The story will unfold more as it continues to open…
Thanks for caring Chuck…
Semper fi,
Jim
thanks Jack, for the compliment and the loyalty expressed here.
Semper fi,
Jim
You were in my mind this Memorial day along with others. thank you James…..
Thanks a million Al…smile…
Semper fi,
Jim
Lt. You were in continuous combat the whole month you were there…and the company seemed to be there weeks before you arrived without being relieved. Was the plan from the top to keep you there until you either took the entire valley and won the war by yourselves, or until you were all wiped out? I don’t mean to be a smart ass but was it just attrition that the bosses were after, the whole idiotic Westmoreland inflection point strategy? Kill the NVA at a faster rate than they could put new men into the field…wipe out a company or two of Marines to destroy a regiment of NVA?